Aimee
by Boredette
Summary: Kurt Hummel is forced to raise his little sister, Aimee, after their parents and older brother are tragically killed in a car accident. Things change when Aimee's preschool teacher, Mr Anderson, offers to make sure Aimee gets the help she needs.
1. Mr Anderson

**A/N: So hey there. This is a new fic. It's based on a Tumblr prompt by wiltedviolets and also my crippling fear that something will happen to my parents and brother and I'll be forced to raise my seven-year-old brother on my own.**

**I hope you enjoy it. It's a lot angstier than my usual stuff.**

**I don't own Glee at all. Kinda wish I did, but I don't.**

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><p>Blaine Anderson loved his job. He loved the fact that he was paid to act like a goofball all day. He loved the fact that he could use all of his skills and talents in various ways. And he loved the fact that he could say he was making a difference in the lives of the kids he taught.<p>

He loved waking up early to make sure his classroom was neat and ready for a busy day of learning. He loved getting home well after school had ended to plan his lessons for the next day. He loved organizing field trips, school plays, school bake-sales and parent-teacher conferences.

Blaine filled his life with his work and he was content. He didn't really need much more than knowing he was good at what he did and that he enjoyed doing what he did.

That is, until the day he needed to have a meeting with Aimee's guardian.

Aimee Hudson-Hummel had always been one of Blaine's favourite students. She was slightly precocious, very outspoken and exceptionally bright and this allowed her to make friends easily. She had always been surrounded by a group of excited five-year-olds who looked up to her like she was the head princess or something.

But earlier this year her parents and her older brother had died in a tragic car accident and Aimee hadn't been the same. She was withdrawn, prone to temper tantrums and had started drawing disturbing pictures in class. Blaine was concerned enough to call a meeting.

He didn't really know much about her brother apart from the fact that he was really young, had moved from New York back to Lima to look after her and that his name was Kurt. He didn't know what their home life was like, but he assumed it was adequate. Aimee looked cared for. Still, he had to make sure that everything was okay.

He was running late, but Blaine could forgive that. It was an awkward time of the day and he was sure that Kurt had mentioned something about getting off work early for the meeting. Blaine readjusted the papers on his desk in slightly nervous anticipation and waited. He forced himself not to look at the clock. That would only lead him to frustration and the last thing he wanted to be was frustrated. He knew that he would be dealing with some really raw and sensitive topics and he didn't want his own selfish feelings to taint the way he handled the meeting.

It wasn't too long before there was a knock on the open classroom door. Blaine looked up to see the most gorgeous human being he had ever seen. It wasn't even his looks or what he was wearing (though Blaine silently decided that skinny jeans, tight shirts and boots should be outlawed) but his whole presence. He looked so strong and yet there was an untraceable vulnerability and sadness to the way he held himself. It took several seconds before Blaine could summon up enough self-control to stand up from behind the desk and stretch out a hand in greeting.

"Blaine Anderson, Aimee's teacher," he said with a smile. "Kurt Hummel, I assume?"

"Yeah," replied the man. His voice hadn't been what Blaine was expecting, but this only served to add to the growing list of reasons that he found him attractive. He would have to watch himself in this meeting, lest he say something incredibly stupid.

"Please have a seat," Blaine said, motioning to the chair in front of the desk. Kurt sat down and looked up at Blaine with a look of anxiety that clearly showed how nervous he was about this. The thought broke Blaine's heart slightly. He didn't look much older than himself and he already had all this responsibility to deal with. It was so unfair and yet it was reality.

"Has Aimee done anything wrong?" asked Kurt in a soft voice, pulling Blaine from his thoughts.

"No, there haven't been any major disciplinary issues," he replied, shaking his head, "but I'm not going to lie, Kurt. She's struggling."

Kurt took a deep, steadying breath as if he were preparing himself for the worst.

"She used to be very friendly and excited and now she mostly wants to be on her own. And these are the pictures she's been drawing during colouring hour."

Blaine handed Kurt a pile scrawled drawings the top one of which was of a clearly dead and bleeding dog. He watched as he flipped through them, his face paling with each one.

"I-I had no idea. She... I... we don't talk much at home," said Kurt softly, voice breaking slightly as if he was fighting back strong emotion. "I've tried getting her to talk about things, but the more I do the more she climbs into her shell. I'm just... I'm at my wit's end."

Blaine chose his next words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to offend or upset him.

"Kurt... I can't imagine what both of you must be going through and believe me when I say that I'm deeply sorry for your loss, but the truth is that Aimee needs to be learning and at the moment the raw emotional trauma is making it impossible for her to do that. My advice as an educator would be to take her to a therapist for a few sessions to see what they have to say. With a proper psychological profile we can make sure that Aimee gets the help she needs to help her deal with the things she's feeling. "

Kurt was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I know she needs to talk to someone about all this, but I just can't - can't afford it at the moment. I'm already working two jobs and until I can get someone to manage the tyre shop, I'm going to have to work my ass off just to put food on the table. I had to leave college and not many people are keen on hiring drop-outs."

"I'll pay for it," said Blaine without thinking, surprising even himself.

"Excuse me?" asked Kurt, looking up at Blaine with confusion in his eyes.

"I'll pay for it," Blaine repeated, more sure of himself. "I really care about Aimee, Kurt, and I only have myself to support."

Kurt eyed him suspiciously.

"I know it's not the usually done thing, but please. I want to do this. You said yourself you can't afford it. Just... let me do this for you both."

They stared at each other for a moment or two until Kurt's expression softened.

"I'll think about it," he said softly, his face not betraying any emotion.

"Take your time. Just please... it's important to make sure that Aimee gets the help that she needs."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Mr Anderson," Kurt said, as he got up from his seat.

"You can call me Blaine," he said, with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood slightly. An expression crossed Kurt's face that could have almost been a smile.

"I'd prefer to call you Mr Anderson," he said before leaving the classroom.

Blaine sat back in his chair wondering what had just happened. Clearly he was very attracted to one of his student's guardians, which could only lead to disaster. Still, he couldn't help but feel a slight thrill at the fact that he now knew someone like Kurt existed.

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><p>Kurt sighed as he pulled into the driveway later that afternoon. The ache of the day that he had just lived through was beginning to set in and to add to the growing list of worries he already had, Aimee hadn't said a word the entire car ride home.<p>

He knew the pain. He knew that it was the one of hardest things that a child could go through. And he also knew that she had lost two parents and a brother and that to her is must seem like her whole world had come to an end.

He had vowed from the moment he heard about the accident, that he would be strong for her. He would keep it together for her. So he had moved back to Lima, he had found a minimum wage job that would pay the bills, had found another one when that one hadn't been enough and he kept himself going. He kept moving because if he stopped he knew that he would fall apart and that was the last thing that he could let happen.

He stopped the car and pulled the key out of the ignition, but he stayed in the same position in his car seat.

"Aims, you know that I'm trying, right?" he asked, looking up from the steering wheel to the tiny brunette girl in the passenger's seat. Aimee looked back at him with big brown eyes and nodded. "Look, it sucks, but we're all we have right now. I know I'm not mom or dad, but I'm trying the best I can to be the best big brother I can be. I just... I need you to help me out."

Aimee's head dropped to her chest.

"I just miss them so much, Kurt," she said, tears falling into her lap. Kurt unclipped her safety belt and pulled her onto the seat next to him, holding her tightly. Hot tears stung behind his eyes. "I miss them too, hon."

They stayed that way until Aimee's sobbing had calmed to small sniffs.

"I went to speak to Mr Anderson today," said Kurt softly. Aimee sat up suddenly.

"I haven't done anything wrong, I swear! Mr Anderson always tells me I'm the quietest mouse! Please don't be angry with me, Kurt."

Fresh tears were brimming in her eyes and her bottom lip trembled. Her anxiety would be humorous if the scene wasn't so heartbreaking.

"Don't worry, Aims, you're not in trouble," said Kurt, stroking her hair. "He just said that he's seen that school has been difficult for you lately and that he wants you to talk to someone who will help you with your sad feelings."

"Like a doctor?" asked Aimee.

"Exactly like a doctor," said Kurt with a small smile. "Mr Anderson says that if you talk to someone about what you're feeling, you might be able to have fun at school again. What do you think?"

Aimee didn't say anything, but gave Kurt a tight bear hug.

"Love you, Kurt," she whispered, before scrambling out the car and heading to the front door with her _Dora the Explorer_ backpack slung over her shoulder.

Kurt followed her and let them both inside. From the moment they crossed the threshold their usual routine began as if nothing in the car had happened. Aimee watched The Little Mermaid for the millionth time while Kurt made dinner which they ate in silence. Then Aimee got ready for bed, Kurt read her a bedtime story, kissed her on her head as she sleepily said "goodnight, Kurt", and he forced himself to not just collapse on the couch, but to drag himself upstairs, shower, moisturize and climb into bed.

Aimee's teacher kept popping into his thoughts all evening. He couldn't understand why he would be so set on paying for her therapy sessions. He knew that there were kind-hearted people in the world, but he had just met him. Most people in Lima took one look at him and treated him like shit. It was safe to say that Kurt was more than a little nervous about this situation.

At the same time, it had been nice to be smiled at by a good-looking man more or less his age. Even if he was just a Lima preschool teacher.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to review with any and all constructive criticism. I'm still learning. :)**


	2. The Lima Bean

**A/N: Thank you so much for all your amazing reviews! They really mean a lot to me.**

**As I've already said, I don't own Glee. If I did, the Klaine gift scene would have aired.**

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><p>Kurt let himself sleep in on a Saturday. It was the least he could do for himself, he reasoned, what with working double shifts in the week and trying to sort through the mounting pile of responsibility in his free time. Aimee had learned to entertain herself. She was more than capable, having sussed out the DVD player months ago. She knew as long as she kept the volume on the TV down, she could watch anything she wanted. Kurt, of course, made sure that only her extensive collection of Disney, <em>Dora the Explorer<em> and _My Friends Tigger and Pooh_ DVDs were within reach. In this way, Kurt could wake up on a Saturday mid-morning feeling slightly less murderous.

As was usual for a Saturday, Kurt woke up at ten, showered and dressed, then went downstairs to make breakfast for the two of them while being serenaded by the dulcet tones of Timon and Pumba. He told himself he would read a few more chapters of the book he was aiming to have read by the end of the month, but he soon forgot that idea in favour of sitting watching the pancakes cook in a semi-asleep state.

His phone rang pulling him out of his thoughts and making him jump out of his chair. Trying his best to quickly compose himself, he pressed the answer button on his phone.

"Hello, Kurt Hummel speaking," he said, his voice croaky from not being used all morning.

"Hi," said a voice on the other end "I read in the paper about a position managing a tyre shop, is there any way I could make an appointment to discuss the details with you?"

"Certainly," Kurt replied. "I'm not sure what my schedule is like for the next few weeks, but if you're available, I could meet you later today?"

"Sounds perfect," said the person on the other end of the phone. "Shall we say The Lima Bean at two?"

"That would work for me," said Kurt, hardly containing thrill of finally ridding himself of this burden. "Just bring along your résumé." He was about to say goodbye when he realised that he still hadn't got the person's name.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was super rude of me," he said, the laughter evident in his voice. "It's Sebastian. Sebastian Smythe."

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><p>"But Kurt, you promised I could watch <em>Dora<em> all day today," said Aimee tearfully as he announced it was time to get dressed and get ready to go out.

"Aims, you can still watch _Dora_," said Kurt feeling frustration like he had never known. Aimee was very good at remembering promises and Kurt was normally pretty good at keeping them. But this had to be done today and she was just going to have to deal with it.

"I WON'T BE ABLE TO IF WE'RE GOING OUT! IT'S SO UNFAIR! YOU PROMISED!"

Kurt waited for her little burst of anger to dissipate before continuing.

"Are you finished?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't say anything – just glared at him as if he was everything that was wrong in the universe. Kurt fought hard not to laugh. She was adorable when she was in her moods, but at the same time, Kurt wouldn't take any crap from her.

"Like I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted – you're going to hang out with Uncle Puck for the day," he continued, "and you _know_ that he'll let you watch _Dora_. So what are the tears for?"

"Uncle Puck? Really?" said Aimee, her face brightening.

"Well, I'm not lying, because that would be wrong," said Kurt with a small smile. "But I think you do owe someone an apology now." Aimee tackle-hugged him round the middle.

"Sorry for being such a meanie, Kurt," she said softly. Kurt lowered himself to her eye-level and smiled.

"You're awesome, Aimee," he said, with a smile as he gave her a tight hug. "I know it's tough for you. It's tough for me as well. We're going to make it, though. Because we're tough, aren't we?"

Aimee made her "lion-face" – something she had invented as a way to scare off the monsters in her closet – and Kurt chuckled softly.

"Let's switch off _Dora_ and get ready then," he said, ruffling her hair.

Once Aimee had calmed down it only took her about twenty minutes to be completely ready, packed and in the car. It was only another five minutes until they were outside Puck's apartment.

"Well, if it isn't the prettiest girl in all of Ohio!" said Puck as Aimee bounded through the front door and ran straight into him. "How are you, Princess?"

"I'm fine thanks and you, Uncle Puck?" said Aimee with a shy smile.

"I'm great," he said with a grin. "A whole lot better now that I know we're going to hang out!" He spun her around a few times, Aimee giggling on the top of her lungs. "Also, don't tell Kurt I told you this," he said in a mock whisper, pretending to cast a nervous glance at her brother, "but if you go into the kitchen now, I think there might be cookies and milk waiting for you." Aimee didn't waste a minute in rushing off to see if Puck was telling the truth.

"So, she has a _Dora the Explorer_ DVD in her backpack. If it gets too much for you, suggest colouring. Those are the two loves of her life at the moment," said Kurt, with a small smile.

"It's chilled, man," said Puck, clapping Kurt on the back, "I've looked after her before. She's awesome. We're gonna have a blast."

"Thanks for doing this, Puck," Kurt said, smiling sincerely. "I know it was short notice, but... thanks."

"Not a problem, dude," Puck replied. "Like I said, anytime you need a break, just let me know. I can't imagine how crazy things must be for you at the moment."

Kurt didn't say anything, but stared ahead of him and nodded with an unreadable expression. Puck suddenly looked at his watch and then at Kurt.

"Well, you said you have a meeting or something like that to go to, so go," said Puck, grinning. "You don't wanna be late. And don't you dare stress about Aims. We're gonna be fine."

"Point taken," said Kurt, chuckling softly. "See you later. And thanks again."

"You're welcome," Puck replied. "Have fun. Don't do anyone I wouldn't do."

Kurt couldn't help but laugh.

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><p>Blaine had been having his average Saturday. He got up early out of habit and watched some of the Saturday morning cartoons, forced himself to have breakfast (even if it was just a couple of slices of toast), got dressed into his comfy home clothes and planned lessons and crafts for the week.<p>

Except that this wasn't his average Saturday because for some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Kurt Hummel.

Okay, he knew why. Kurt Hummel was more or less the most perfect person he had ever met. He wasn't the first guy that he had ever felt this way about, but it was definitely the hardest and most sudden crush he had ever developed in his life.

There had been previous relationships and nearly all of them had ended in disaster. It wasn't that he was actively out to destroy them; it was just that he seemed to have some kind of disease when it came to holding on to a guy - relationship cooties or something.

_Oh God, did you really just use the term "relationship cooties"? You need some grown-up friends. And fast._

There was no point in trying to concentrate anymore. His mind was too full of thoughts of Kurt to do anything productive. Instead, he toyed with the idea of going to grab a coffee. God knows it had been too long since he had last been to the Lima Bean. For someone who had regular status it was just plain sad.

He was brought abruptly out of his thoughts by the sudden sound of his Skype call tone. Surprised, as he wasn't that used to being called on a Saturday afternoon, he checked who it was and his face broke into a grin.

"Sebastian!" Blaine said as he answered the call. He was immediately rewarded with a giant grin.

"Hey Blaine," replied Sebastian. He looked like he was in the middle of somewhere busy, like a restaurant. There were people chatting all around him. "How have you been, buddy?"

"I've been great," said Blaine, unable to stop smiling. This was the first school friend he had spoken to in ages and the grown-up interaction was like a breath of fresh air. "How have _you_ been? I haven't seen you since graduation. Last I heard you were out East trying to make a name for yourself in Hollywood or something."

"I was actually in New York helping my father run his company," said Sebastian with a small laugh, "but I'll take whatever makes me sound more interesting."

Blaine wasn't sure what to say to that, so he settled for laughing.

"Anyway," said Sebastian with a grin, "I'm at the Lima Bean and I was wondering if you were interested in joining me for a coffee? You know, to catch up and all that?"

"I'd love to," said Blaine. "I was actually just thinking about heading to the Bean before you called."

"Well then," said Sebastian with a smirk. "It must be fate."

Blaine laughed nervously. The way he had said that seemed a little intense. But it could also just have been Blaine's overworked imagination.

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes," he said.

"Can't wait," Sebastian replied with the same smirk.

Almost exactly twenty minutes later, Blaine found himself clutching a medium-drip, striding over to his old classmate having changed into clothes that were safer for the public eye and having spent a little more time than usual on fixing his mess of curls. He didn't have feelings for him or anything, but Blaine couldn't deny that Sebastian Smythe was one good looking person. And maybe Blaine was a little shallow in that way, but he wanted to look good himself because of it.

"Well aren't you just exactly the way I remember you?" said Sebastian, standing up to greet Blaine.

"Uh, thanks?" said Blaine, not sure how to take it. He sat down opposite Sebastian and took a sip of his coffee.

"So, Blaine Anderson, what have you been doing with yourself all these years?" asked Sebastian with a grin. Blaine shivered.

"Well, I'm actually a preschool teacher. Have been for a few years now," said Blaine, his voice faltering slightly. He wasn't ashamed of his job – he loved his job – but the look Sebastian was giving him made it seem... quaint.

"No shit!" said Sebastian with a chuckle. "I thought you were joking, but you really are a preschool teacher?"

"That's what I just said," said Blaine, raising an eyebrow, the back of his neck heating and prickling like it did when something was annoying him.

"Well, I'm happy for you man," Sebastian replied, the smirk not quite leaving his face. It irritated Blaine, but he chose to ignore it. Sebastian had always been somewhat of a wildcard. You never quite knew where you stood with him. He seemed harmless enough, but he had a way of getting under your skin so that you were always just that tiny bit uncomfortable and Blaine was starting to remember all the stuff that he had forgotten over the years.

"And you?" asked Blaine, a little harsher than he meant it and made sure his tone was level with his next words. "You said you were off helping your dad run his company. What brings you back to Ohio?"

"Business ventures," said Sebastian simply. "I think I've found the perfect one. It won't even take that much effort to get it off the ground."

"Sounds great," said Blaine with a genuine smile, "I'm glad for you."

Thankfully conversation steered away from the two of them and onto what the other Warblers were doing. Sebastian seemed to still be in touch with most of them and happily shared details about what they were doing and who they were with. Blaine was thankful to hear that Thad had found himself someone. That had been his worst breakup to date and remained one of his most unpleasant memories.

All the while Blaine couldn't shake the feeling that he would love to be anywhere but there at that precise moment. He couldn't decipher the looks Sebastian was giving him and it freaked him out. He found himself thinking up excuses to leave, even though he had planned to spend the afternoon finishing the book he was reading.

It was only when Sebastian said that he had to leave that Blaine realised how on-edge he actually was.

"This was fun," said Sebastian, with an unreadable smirk. "We should hang out again. And soon. I'll call you." And before Blaine could even reply, Sebastian was out the door and climbing into his car.

Trying to shake off the creepiness of their meeting, Blaine stood up to get himself another coffee. As he slid off the stool he heard the sound of a set of keys hitting the floor. He bent down to pick them up, figuring he should probably hand them in, in case someone was looking for them. He smirked amusedly at the key-ring of Princess Beatrice's Royal Wedding hat. Whoever owned the keys had a sense of humour. Or they actually liked the hat. Either way, it was funny.

He was about to continue the journey to the counter when someone collided into him, knocking the set of keys to the ground.

"Oh god, sorry," said the person as Blaine bent down to pick them up. Blaine stood up suddenly recognizing the voice. 'I didn't mean to I was just –"

"Kurt Hummel," said Blaine with a grin.

"Mr Anderson," Kurt replied with a smile. The sudden flush in his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Blaine, who chose to not say anything about it.

"What brings you to the Bean?" he asked, unable to contain the grin. This was the best co-incidence he had ever had.

"Well, I was here earlier, but I think I left my..." his eyes travelled to Blaine's hand which was clutched around the set of keys. "Those. I left those."

"Oh," said Blaine as he handed them over, wanting to sing at how perfect this whole encounter was. "I was just about to go hand them in at the counter. You just saved me a trip. Nice key-chain by the way." To his delight, Kurt actually laughed.

"My best friend, Rachel, gave it to me when we moved into our first New York apartment," he said. "She knows how much I love anything remotely Royal and well... it's just hilarious."

"Definitely," Blaine replied with a grin. He felt a sudden rush of boldness and praying to whichever higher power would listen that he didn't screw it up, he asked, "I was just about to get another coffee. Care to join me?"

Kurt hesitated and for a moment Blaine panicked. It was stupid and sudden and he had probably freaked the guy out of his mind.

"Sure," he said with a smile. "Let me just call Aimee's babysitter to make sure he's okay with it."

A few minutes and a phone call later, Blaine was sitting opposite Kurt at a table near the window of the coffee shop. He couldn't believe how much of a contrast it was to when he was speaking to Sebastian. Instead of feeling tense and annoyed, he found himself relaxed and smiling.

"So," said Kurt as he took a sip of his coffee (a non-fat mocha, Blaine made a point of remembering), "you want to help me pay for Aimee's therapy, but I literally know nothing about you apart from the fact that you're her teacher and that you do most of your clothes shopping online."

Blaine looked at him in amazement. How on Earth could he have known that?

"Recognizing fashion - one of my many talents," he said, smiling at Blaine's confusion. "So what is there to know about Blaine Anderson?"

"Well, I've been here for a while. I went to Dalton Academy, I don't know if you've ever heard of it?"

"I have," said Kurt, grinning, "I sang against The Warblers in a few show choir competitions. I remember them being amazing. "

"Really now?" said Blaine, his smile widening. "Were you in Vocal Adrenaline, Aural Intensity or the New Directions?"

"The New Directions," said Kurt. "Wait so does that mean that you were...?"

"I was one of the Warblers, yeah," said Blaine.

"That's where I know you from!" said Kurt, his eyes widening. "Weren't you their lead or something?"

"Kinda," said Blaine, shrugging modestly.

"That's amazing!" said Kurt. "And you didn't pursue a career in performing?"

Blaine shrugged. "I wanted to for a while, but I volunteered at a children's hospital and I realized that nothing made me happier than when I was hanging out with those kids. I didn't want to go into medicine, so I decided to study to be a preschool teacher and, well, here I am."

Kurt smiled and took another sip of his coffee.

"What about you?" asked Blaine. "You said that you were living in New York. That has to be pretty exciting. Not many people from Lima do make it out of Lima." Kurt looked at his coffee cup for a few moments before replying.

"It was my dream, New York," said Kurt, tracing the lid of the cup. "I've wanted to be there for as long as I can remember. The fact that both Rachel and I got into NYADA was a miracle. I was so ready for the rest of my life. I was even going to start auditioning for parts on Broadway. You know, before..."

He looked up at Blaine and he could see that Kurt's eyes were filling with tears which he blinked back valiantly.

"Anyway, I have Aimee now," said Kurt smiling softly. "She's my new reality. Maybe I do end up back on track with my own dreams, but for now I have to be strong for her."

Blaine smiled back gently. He couldn't even imagine the hurt and brokenness that Kurt was going through. He wished that he could take it away. No one should have their dreams taken from them - even if it was necessary.

"Anyway, I'm probably really bumming you out right now," said Kurt, flushing furiously red at his choice of words. Blaine wanted to pretend not to have noticed, but choking on your mouthful of coffee was somewhat of a giveaway. They stared at each other in horror for a moment before they both collapsed into fits of laughter that lasted a good few minutes.

"Oh god," said Kurt, as the laughter subsided into giggles. "That was awkward."

"Agreed," said Blaine, unable to wipe the stupid grin off his face.

Kurt drained the last of his coffee and glanced at his watch.

"It's getting pretty late and I should pick up Aimee," Kurt said with an apologetic look. "I think I have to go. It's been great though. Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Blaine, standing up to say goodbye. Blaine was pleasantly surprised when Kurt hugged him. "I'll see you around."

"Definitely," Kurt replied, giving him one last smile before heading for the door.

"Kurt! Your keys!" said Blaine, picking them up from where Kurt had left them on the table.

"Shit!" he said with a sheepish grin, taking them from Blaine. "Thanks, Blaine."

And with that he turned and left the coffee shop, leaving Blaine to marvel at what had just happened.

"You're welcome," Blaine whispered under his breath.

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><p>"It was totally a date!" said Puck when Kurt walked into his living room a few minutes later. "You were totally just on a date."<p>

"It was _not_ a date," said Kurt, feeling the betraying flush in his cheeks. He wasn't lying – it was just an awkward question.

"Whatever, man," said Puck, clapping him on the shoulder. "You can try to spin your bullshit story about how it was just an extension of your business meeting, but I know for a fact that the only thing that was extending was your –"

"KURT!" came a shrill and excited voice as Kurt was tackled around the middle by a pair of tiny arms.

"Aims!" replied Kurt. "How was your day with Uncle Puck? Did he behave himself?"

"Of course!" said Aimee with a smile. "We watched Dora and coloured and he taught me how to play guitar!"

"Did he now?" said Kurt with an amused smile. "Well I think you should say a big 'thank you' for all the fun you've had then, don't you think?"

"Thanks, Uncle Puck!" said Aimee, giving him a huge hug as she did.

"Anytime, Princess," he said, ruffling her hair so that she giggled. "Seriously though, was it anyone special? I'd be happy for you, man."

"It was Aimee's teacher," said Kurt rolling his eyes. "And it was nothing."

"The look on your face says different, but I'm not going to argue," said Puck with an evil grin. "I'm just going to sit back and see how things unfold."

"You sure you aren't gay?" said Kurt, raising an eyebrow amusedly. "You seem to take great delight in my love life." Puck just laughed.

"Bye, Aimee," he said. "Bye, Kurt."

"Bye Uncle Puck!" said Aimee, grinning adorably.

"Bye, Puck," said Kurt, leading her out of the apartment.

He would never admit it to Puck, but as Kurt buckled Aimee in and as he sat down behind the wheel, Kurt could definitely entertain the idea of a date with Blaine Anderson.

Even as he thought it, the charming smile and dazzling eyes filled his mind.

Definitely.

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><p><strong>AN: Let me know what you think! I'm so excited for the rest of the story. It's going to pick up more soon.**


	3. Blind Date

**A/N: Whoot! I updated this! Big thank-yous to all my reviewers and the people who have been waiting patiently for this. :)**

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><p>"Guess what your best friend in the entire universe has organised for you," said Joanna, Kurt's colleague at Sheets-'n-Things. They had become friends on Kurt's first day on the job, when a customer had been complaining about the thread-count of a certain sheet and Jo had come to his rescue, handling the situation with grace and just the right amount of sass. Kurt chuckled. The fact that she called herself his best friend was typical of her.<p>

"Okay firstly, as awesome as you are, my best friend in the entire universe lives in New York," said Kurt, grabbing a sheet from behind him and pulling it over the bed in the window. As much as he usually despised his job, the fact that they had given him creative control over the window displays pleased him. He always made sure that they were eye-catching and gorgeous, and sales on the products displayed in the window were normally double the sales for any other product. "Anyway, I'm dying to know – what has my second-best friend in the entire universe organised for me?"

"I have set you up on a blind date," she said with a grin, handing him the duvet case.

"For a change," said Kurt rolling his eyes. She did this at least once every three weeks or so and while he appreciated the sentiment, Kurt really couldn't stand being set up with a complete stranger.

"This one's different though, Kurt!" Jo insisted, helping him throw the heavy duvet over the display bed. "I know I've set you up with a string of disasters in the past, but this guy is actually one of my very good friends. He's been complaining about being single and I said I had a friend who he could meet. He's really cute and funny and smart and pretty much everything you always go on about. I actually can't believe that I hadn't thought of it sooner."

"Jo... I don't know. After the last one I – "

"Look, just go on this one and if he isn't everything I made him out to be, I'll never set you up again. If he does turn out to be everything I said he would be, I'll never set you up again. See? Either way it's a win-win," said Jo, with a sly grin.

"What if I say no to the date?" asked Kurt, throwing pillows and cushions onto the bed.

"I won't stop pestering you about it until you say yes," she said with a smirk.

"Fine," said Kurt stepping back to admire the completed display. "But this is the last time, okay?"

"I swear on my Internet connection," she said, with a grin. "Breadstix at seven tomorrow – is that okay for you?"

"Yeah," said Kurt, wondering what chronic illness he could suddenly come down with before then.

"Great!" squealed Jo, throwing her arms around Kurt's neck. "You won't regret it!"

"I already am," said Kurt, as his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He didn't recognise the number when he answered it.

"Hello, Kurt Hummel speaking?" he said, curious as to who would be phoning him at work.

"Hi, Kurt, it's Mr Anderson, Aimee's teacher," said the familiar voice on the other end. Kurt couldn't help the small shiver that went down his spine before he went into big-brother mode. Blaine was obviously calling for a reason.

"Hi, Blaine," said Kurt, a worried weight beginning to settle at the pit of his stomach. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, for the most part," said Blaine. "Aimee had a nightmare during naptime and she's a little out of it now. She's really tearful and I'm worried about her. I understand that you're working now, but if there's any way you could come and collect her, I really think it would help. She needs some love and cuddles right now."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," said Kurt seriously. "Thanks, Blaine."

"Anytime, Kurt. See you in a moment."

Kurt ended the call and looked up at Jo.

"Listen, I have to get Aimee – she had a nightmare and I think it's freaked her a little," he said, feeling he should have been there two minutes ago already.

"Aw, no, the poor bunny," said Jo, shaking her head with a sympathetic frown. "Yeah, you go take her home and look after her. I'll make sure you're covered."

"Thanks, Jo," said Kurt, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out of the store to his car. Ten minutes later he ran into the school's reception office to find a depressed-looking Aimee lying against a calmly waiting Blaine with her arms clutching him tightly around the middle. The sight was adorable and heartbreaking at the same time and for reasons he didn't really want to address right now, he suddenly pictured what it would be like to come home to that sight every day. That was craziness though. He couldn't let himself think like that when he had enough to worry about.

"Oh, hey, look who's here," said Blaine gently with a smile as he pointed to where Kurt was standing.

"Kurt," said Aimee, rushing over to where he was and throwing her arms around him. She was sobbing with what he gathered to be relief as Kurt knelt down to properly hug her. "I'm-m s-so gla-ad you're s-safe."

Kurt gave Blaine a questioning look over her shoulder to which the teacher shrugged. So he didn't know what the nightmare was about. Once Aimee's tears had subsided slightly, he pulled out of the hug and held Aimee's shoulders gently.

"What happened, Angel?" he asked, reaching up to wipe away a tear with his thumb. "I heard you had a nightmare. Do you want to tell me what it was about?"

"I dreamed that you were in New York again and then that big scary monkey grabbed you and took you to the top of the Entire State Building," she said, her bottom lip quivering, "and I was standing on the sidewalk by myself and I was so worried, Kurt."

"Hey, it's okay," said Kurt, pulling her into another tight hug. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. But this is why I told you not to come into my room at night without knocking. Movies like _King Kong_ mess with your head when you're little."

"I'm six and a half," Aimee glared defensively. Kurt couldn't help but grin.

"Yes, you are," he said. "Listen, Aims, you play with your Dora doll – I just need to talk to Mr Anderson quickly, alright?"

"Okay," she said, still sounding miserable as she walked back towards where she had just been sitting. Once he was sure that she was playing, Kurt turned to Blaine.

"Look, please know that this isn't normally me, but I think I might have to take you up on your offer for the therapy," he said, feeling colour creep into his cheeks as he said it. He hated having to rely on other people for things he felt he should be able to provide for Aimee, but there was just physically no way he could do it. "I know today's nightmare may have been triggered by the thirty seconds of the movie she accidently saw last night, but that's just it. It was a trigger. That means the anxiety is there and it needs to be dealt with, because Aimee deserves her childhood. And I really hope it's not asking too much of you, it's just that I would never be able to afford it and you offered and –"

"Hey," said Blaine placing a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder, "like you said, I offered. Now, we can set up a meeting to discuss it, or you can let me take you out for drinks tomorrow night if you're free?"

"Okay," said Kurt, his mouth answering before his brain had time to catch up. This was definitely heading into date territory and as much as Kurt was all for that, he couldn't help but feel nervous about it. He couldn't back down now though – that would be rude. However, he suddenly remembered something that seemed to puncture a hole in his happiness. "No, wait, I have something on tomorrow night."

"Crap! Yeah, me too actually now that I come to think of it," said Blaine, clapping a hand to his forehead and laughing at the coincidence. "Well, I think it's going to have to be a scheduled meeting then. Don't worry; I'll stop by the Lima Bean beforehand."

"Sounds like a plan," said Kurt with an approving nod. He looked to where Aimee was dozing off in her seat and he smiled. "Anyway, I should be getting Little Miss Madam home so she can get some rest. See you soon, Blaine."

"See you soon, Kurt," said Blaine hugging him tightly. He gave a hug to Aimee as well who was now so tired that she didn't know where she was and called him "Uncle Puck".

As Kurt buckled Aimee into her seat, he couldn't help but feel slight exasperation at the thought of tomorrow night. If the date was horrible, it would be even worse now knowing that it was keeping him from a date with Blaine.

Kurt glanced over his appearance one last time in the glass of his car window. His clothes were classy but showed off his body, and his hair - if he did say so himself - was the sex. Even though he had serious misgivings about this date, there was every chance that this could turn out to be something good, in which case he wanted to look his best.

'_Which table did you say he was at?'_ Kurt texted Jo, wanting to have all the details before he barged in there.

'_Table thirteen_,' Jo texted back. '_Don't keep him waiting._'

Of course he was at table thirteen – that was just typically Jo and her mean sense of humour.

Figuring he had nothing to lose, Kurt made his way inside the restaurant, not really knowing where table thirteen was. He was just about to go and look for the table, when he spotted Blaine and his heart did a somersault. Without even thinking about it, he made his way over to where he was sitting, trying desperately to think of something clever to say but forgetting everything, because when Blaine spotted him, his face broke into a huge grin.

"Kurt, hey!" he said, standing up to hug him. "Fancy meeting you here."

"It's good to see you, Blaine," said Kurt with a smile. He wasn't sure what else to say after that, so settled for staring at the gorgeous smile opposite him.

"So what brings you to Breadstix?" asked Blaine, curiously. "Meeting someone special?"

"I don't know yet," said Kurt with a small frown. "It's kind of a blind date."

"Get out! Me too," replied Blaine with a grin on his face.

"No way," said Kurt, looking down at the table to glimpse the table number.

It was table thirteen.

"Blaine, I think you're my blind date," he said staring at him with wide eyes.

"Really? Jo organized you too?" asked Blaine excitedly, his whole attitude changing immediately. He pulled out a seat for Kurt in a very gentlemanly manner and motioned for him to sit down. "This is so awesome. I mean, no offense, but Jo has a habit of setting me up with serious flops, but god, this is great."

Kurt's heart was pounding. It was one thing to contemplate going on a date with a guy and another thing when you found yourself in the middle of one. He stammered through his order to the point where he wondered how the poor waitress had heard or understood him enough to come back with the right food.

Once he grew comfortable around Blaine, however, he found that he was really enjoying himself. Blaine and he had more in common than he had thought they would. He also turned out to be even more perfect than Kurt could explain.

They held hands while they waited for dessert, which caught Kurt by surprise, even though he wasn't about to complain. Kurt had been resting his hand on the table and Blaine had just reached out and taken it. There was not a shred of irony on his face and for the first time in a long time, Kurt felt like he was something to be excited about.

Blaine had insisted on paying and made sure to thank his waitress before they left. Everything he did screamed 'gentlemen' and Kurt couldn't help but fall for it.

"We should do this again sometime," said Blaine, lacing his fingers through Kurt's as they left Breadstix. Kurt shuddered pleasantly at the sheer intimacy of the gesture.

"Definitely," agreed Kurt as they stopped outside his car and Blaine opened the door for him.. "There _is_ that meeting we planned for next week."

"Very true," said Blaine with a smile. Then before Kurt could do anything, Blaine stood on his toes and kissed him. It was a very normal kiss – barely a peck – but it Kurt felt like a million new futures had opened up to him.

"Goodnight, Kurt," he said with a small smile before heading off to find his own car.

"You too," said Kurt, wondering what on earth had just happened and thanking the universe that it did.


	4. Best Friends

**A/N: New chapter, quick update. I must say that I'm proud of myself. **

**The story's a little slow at the moment but I think things will start picking up with this chapter.**

**Thanks for all the amazing people who reviewed my last chapter. You're all rockstars and deserve Darren Criss sock monkeys.**

**Without further ado - the next chapter.**

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><p>Kurt had been so excited about his meeting with Blaine that he arrived half an hour early. As he waited in the corridor outside the classroom, he could hear Blaine excitedly reading a Dr Seuss book that Kurt had almost forgotten about. He smiled each time the kids joined him in yelling "I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!", amazed at how someone who did this every day didn't sound like he was ready to murder all of them. Kurt certainly didn't have the strength for that.<p>

Before too long, he could hear the scraping of chairs inside the classroom, which meant that the kids were packing their bags and preparing to go home. His heart suddenly hammered in his chest. It wouldn't be long until he saw him again. Even though Blaine had called him twice over the weekend, this was the first time he was seeing him since Friday night at Breadstix. He was insanely nervous. He didn't have too long to think about it though, because a sudden blast of noise told him that the classroom door had opened a moment before Blaine's head appeared around it.

"I thought I heard someone cough outside the classroom," he said with a huge grin, walking over to Kurt who stood up to hug him tightly. "So happy to see you," he said softly into Kurt's neck as he hugged him.

"You too," said Kurt breathlessly, his hammering heart seeming to skip beats here and there. He was suddenly aware of all the pairs of eyes watching them and he pulled away with a small smile.

"Mr Anderson, is that your brother?" asked a sandy-haired girl with a confused look on her face.

"Not actually," replied Blaine with a smile. "He's Aimee's big brother. We're friends."

"My daddy says that only brothers should hug each other," said another boy with a frown. "Otherwise it's gross."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance, and Kurt could see the dilemma. Blaine wanted more than anything to tell his student that there was nothing wrong with men hugging each other, but he didn't want to say anything that would cause a bigger problem. What would happen if this kid went back to his father with what Blaine said to him? What if the father complained about his son having a gay teacher? Although it was completely unfair and unjust, Blaine's position at the school was precarious. He was a really good teacher, but if his being there caused too much drama he would be fired without question.

Another reason Lima was one of the most charming little towns in the world.

"Well, I think it's okay for friends to hug each other," said Blaine tactfully just as the bell rang. Blaine's face, which had been mildly concerned a few moments ago, was now covered in a massive grin. "Bye, guys! See you all bright and early tomorrow! Don't forget – tomorrow we start with 'Space Week' so remember to bring everything you know about outer space!"

"Yes, Mr Anderson!" the kids chorused as they filed out of the classroom. Aimee stayed behind to give Blaine a hug and took Kurt's hand pulling him away from the classroom, obviously thinking he had come to collect her.

"Kurt, come _on_," she said seriously. "We're going to miss Dora."

"Honey, I'm not going with you," said Kurt, kneeling down to look her in the eye. "I have a meeting with Mr Anderson now." Aimee's face immediately contorted into a look of pure terror.

"Is it because of my nightmare the other day?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling. "Am I in trouble?"

"Oh, not at all, Aims," said Blaine, also sitting on his haunches to speak at her eye level. "Kurt and I just need to talk about some things. I promise you're still one of the quietest mice."

"Uncle Puck is coming just now. You're going to go to his house for the afternoon," said Kurt with a small smile.

"Do you think he'd let me play guitar?" asked Aimee, her face breaking into a smile.

"I'm sure he would," said Kurt giving her a small kiss on the cheek before he and Blaine stood up.

"Mr Anderson, can I ask you something?" said Aimee looking up at her teacher curiously.

"Sure thing, Aims," said Blaine with a surprised glance to Kurt.

"Is Kurt really your friend?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"He's my _best_ friend," said Blaine taking Kurt's hand and lacing his fingers through his.

Aimee giggled nervously, not quite sure what to do with this new information.

"Can I tell you something even cooler?" asked Blaine as Aimee nodded. "Because Kurt is my best friend, you get to call me Blaine when we're not in class."

"Really? I can call you... Blaine?" she asked with big eyes.

"Yup," he said with a grin.

"Awesome!" she squealed. Kurt laughed at the scene. It was too perfect for him to even comprehend. He knew that he was getting far too ahead of himself, but he honestly couldn't think of anyone who would be better for her than Blaine. Watching them interact made his heart stop.

The sound of a classroom door banging shut further down the hallway brought Kurt back to reality.

"Aims, you better run. You don't want to be late for Uncle Puck," he said with a smile.

"Right!" she said, pulling her backpack further up onto her shoulders and running down the hallway. "Bye, Kurt! Bye, Blaine!" she yelled behind her.

"Bye, Aimee!" said Blaine and Kurt together, before turning to smile at each other. Kurt realised that Blaine was still holding his hand and the thought made his smile widen.

"What?" asked Blaine, chuckling.

"This is just... it's nice," he said, giving Blaine's hand a slight squeeze to show him what he was talking about.

"Ah, yes," he said, lifting Kurt's hand to kiss it softly. "Definitely."

"Anyway, when you're done being adorable, we actually have a meeting to do," said Kurt, blushing.

"Very true," said Blaine. "Oh, wait, I promised coffee, didn't I? Well, we'll just have to move this to the Bean, won't we?" Blaine gathered his things and locked his classroom and Kurt marvelled at how easily he made up his mind to do something. He clearly had a lot to learn from him.

The drive to the Lima Bean was amazing. Blaine turned the radio on and began singing along to the top-forty hit that was blasting from the speakers. He encouraged Kurt to do the same, and at first Kurt refused. However, after Blaine's comment that Broadway kids probably couldn't even sing anything but show-tunes anyway, Kurt joined in and they spent the rest of the drive harmonising together.

"I could definitely get used to that," said Kurt a few minutes later as they sat down at the table they had sat at last time, piping hot coffees in hand.

"I'm hoping you get to," said Blaine smiling. He took a sip of his coffee and closed his eyes, savouring the taste. "Now, about Aimee's therapy – I want you to know that even though I'm paying, this is completely your decision and I don't want you to choose a therapist based on price. I don't care how much it costs, you have to send her to the therapist that you feel is going to help her the most. In fact, you're not even going to be allowed to know how much the sessions cost. You're going to pick purely on who you think is best for Aims."

"But I –"

"No, buts, Kurt," said Blaine, taking his hand over the table. "You're going to send her to whatever therapist she needs, okay?"

"No, I just wanted to say that I have no idea what makes a good therapist," said Kurt, worriedly. "I only ever visited the school guidance counsellor. I don't think I've even ever met a therapist."

"That's okay," said Blaine with a small laugh, stroking Kurt's hand with his thumb. "I've met many through being a teacher. There are five that we mainly work with; three are great, and two are okay. Of the three great ones, I would probably say Linda is your best bet, although Nerina and Tash are almost on par. Linda is the most open and friendly though. Aimee would love her."

"Well, let me meet her and the other two and I'll see what I think," said Kurt, still feeling nervous. Never, in all his life, did he expect to be looking for a therapist for his baby sister, yet here he was talking about them as if he were choosing which new sweatshirt to buy her. He supposed it would change once he met the therapists and he had faces to go with the names. It also couldn't hurt to phone Rachel to find out which therapist she had always gone to as a child.

"Sounds good," agreed Blaine. Then he grinned mischievously. "Say, if we've just finished our meeting, does this mean we're on our second date?"

"I think it does," said Kurt with a grin. "But please, let's go somewhere else. Not that the Lima Bean isn't the most amazing coffee shop in all of Ohio, but I just want to go somewhere else and do something different with you."

"Well, you could always come with me to pick out some new jeans," said Blaine with a small smirk. "I really need a new pair and since your small comment about me buying my clothes online... I think I might need your expert advice."

"You just said all of my trigger words," said Kurt with a grin. "Right, that would be amazing."

"We should go then," he said, jumping out of his chair, excitedly, still holding Kurt's hand and pulling him towards the door as he laughed.

Two tables from where Kurt and Blaine had been sitting, Sebastian sat glowering at them. So Blaine Anderson wasn't as "disconnected" as he had made himself out to be. And Kurt Hummel was more than just the sucker who was about to sign over his precious business.

They were together- a couple.

Sebastian was furious for all of two minutes before he realised how big of an opportunity this was. There was definitely a way to kill two birds with one stone.

And, to be honest, he was feeling pretty murderous.

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><p><strong>AN: That awkward moment when you kind of like Sebastian now... **

**Well, he was an asshole in my original plot, so I'm just going to keep him like this. **

**Thanks so much for reading! You guys make my life :)**


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